A teenager who grinned before fatally stabbing an 18-year-old through the heart with a Rambo-style knife has been found guilty of murder at Derby Crown Court.
Charles Hartle, now 18, was convicted on Friday of murdering Noah Smedley in what police described as an “utterly pointless killing” on a dark street in Ilkeston, Derbyshire, on 28 December last year. The jury heard Hartle had an “unhealthy interest” in knives and carried the weapon to show others he was a “big man.”
Hartle, of Station Road, Stanley, wore a balaclava during the attack and “grinned or smiled before deliberately aiming for and stabbing him in the chest,” prosecution counsel Adrian Langdale KC told the court during the two-week trial.
Fatal Cannabis Deal Turned Violent
The court heard that Hartle and three friends had arranged to meet Mr Smedley on the evening of the murder in Ilkeston. The victim, who arrived riding an electric scooter, sold cannabis to the group before Hartle suddenly turned on him.
The knife, described as being “eight to nine inches” long and kept hidden in Hartle’s tracksuit bottoms, penetrated the right ventricle of Mr Smedley’s heart and his left lung, causing internal bleeding and lung collapse.
Members of the public found the 18-year-old injured in the street near Heanor Road at approximately 8.20pm. Despite efforts by East Midlands Ambulance Service, he was pronounced dead at the scene shortly before 9pm.
Immediate Flight and Disposal of Evidence
After the attack, Hartle fled the scene whilst his friends left Mr Smedley “staggering and bleeding profusely,” the court was told. The defendant met his girlfriend at a house party where witnesses saw him confess what he had done and showed her the knife, which has never been recovered.
He then travelled to Derby city centre to distance himself from the crime scene. In the hours following the murder, Hartle disposed of his clothing, the knife, and his mobile phone before eventually handing himself in at Ilkeston police station.
In a prepared statement to police, Hartle claimed he had acted in self-defence, saying: “There is a history to this, and Noah and I did not get on. He has, in the past, made numerous threats to me and made disparaging comments. He has threatened me with violence.”
He added: “I was petrified that he was about to lunge at me. In that split second, I instinctively lashed out with the knife I had, in self-defence.”
Police Condemn ‘Callous’ Killer
Detective Constable Emma Barnes-Marriott of Derbyshire Police condemned Hartle’s actions, stating: “Noah was an unarmed teenager, who was simply meeting with friends on the night Charles Hartle decided to end his life. Noah did not threaten Hartle and showed nothing but friendliness towards him that evening, and yet he was brutally murdered.”
She described Hartle as “a callous and calculating young man, who has shown no recognition or remorse for taking another teenager’s life.”
“He carried a knife with the intention to use it, over what appears to be a petty disagreement that only he was aware of, and a sense of bravado,” DC Barnes-Marriott added.
Trial Reveals History of Tension
During the trial, the court heard evidence from Marcus Coleman, a friend of Hartle’s who was “feet away” from the attack. Defence counsel Peter Joyce KC suggested there had been animosity between Coleman and the victim over a £20 cannabis debt from months earlier, though Coleman denied this influenced the fatal encounter.
Coleman, who was 17 at the time but is now 18, expressed regret for leaving the scene without helping Mr Smedley, telling the court he was “scared” and adding: “I still regret it to this day.”
Hartle had pleaded guilty to possessing a bladed article in a public place but denied murder. However, the jury rejected his self-defence claim after hearing evidence that he regularly carried the Rambo-style knife for “the kudos and bravado.”
Family and Community Devastated
The murder has devastated the local community in Ilkeston, with friends of Mr Smedley sharing tributes on social media. One friend wrote: “Fly high – gone way too soon. Loved and missed by everyone. My heart goes out to your family. RIP Noah Smedley.”
A fundraising effort organised by Sheryl Brough, the mother of one of Noah’s close friends, aimed to give the teenager “the send off he truly deserves.” She described how the 18-year-old “had his young life snatched away from him.”
Within days of the tragedy, the community raised thousands of pounds to support the family and cover funeral costs, with hundreds of people contributing to show their support.
Rising Knife Crime Concerns
The murder occurs against a backdrop of rising knife crime across England and Wales. According to the Office for National Statistics, knife-related offences rose by 7% in 2023 compared to the previous year, reaching 49,489 incidents.
In the year ending March 2024, over 3,200 knife or offensive weapon offences were committed by young people under 18, resulting in cautions or sentences. The Youth Justice Board reports that 61% of disposals given to children for knife offences were community sentences.
Patrick Green, CEO of The Ben Kinsella Trust, points to drug-related activities as a significant factor in youth knife crime, with young people often coerced into criminal networks where they are armed to protect drugs they transport.
Sentencing Scheduled for August
DC Barnes-Marriott thanked Noah’s family for their support during the investigation and trial, stating: “No family should have to go through the ordeal of losing a loved one, especially at such a young age, and to have to relive their last moments at trial is an additional blow that Hartle could have spared them from.”
“Instead, despite overwhelming evidence, he remained silent and refused to take responsibility for Noah’s murder. I know that nothing will bring Noah back but hope that today’s verdict has provided his family with some comfort that justice has been done.”
Charles Hartle will be sentenced at Derby Crown Court on 22 August.
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